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Vegetable wholesaler Mr Lawson, 46, of Sutton, Cheshire, said: 'The poor guy. At one point the buzzard was flapping its wings as he drove.

'He was that scared he did not know what to do and he just wanted to get back to the yard.

'It was a bizarre moment.

'When he arrived one of the other guys lifted the bonnet with a broom handle and it flew off.

'The buzzard did not even touch the floor before it flew off.

'As soon as its head was released its wingspan just frightened you to death.

'It just flew off. It was uninjured.'

It is thought the bird was flying low on a hunting mission when it collided with the van and got its beak stuck.

Mr Wholley drove from Adlington to Macclesfield with the buzzard wedged under the bonnet of his van

Majestic: A buzzard similar to the one struck by Mr Wholley's van shows off its wingspan in flight (file picture)

The greatest numbers of Buzzards, or
Buteo Buteo, are found in Scotland, Wales, the Lake District and South
West England, but they breed in every county of the UK.

The
bird of prey, which can have a wingspan of more than four foot, can
be found in a number of habitats, but particularly in woodland,
moorland, and near villages - though they have been spotted in towns and
cities, including Glasgow, according to the RSPB.

In some areas they are known as the tourists’ eagle, often being mistaken for this larger bird of prey.